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Kelley Blue Book ® - 2002 Subaru Impreza Overview

Vehicle Overview from Kelley Blue Book

KBB.com 2002 Subaru Impreza Overview

BodySubaru's Turbo Terror Finally Arrives

People who know cars have known about the Subaru WRX for many years. It has been an unholy terror on the European and Asian Rally circuits, not to mention the streets of Tokyo. But here in the America, a Subaru seems to conjure up images of New England soccer moms joyfully tearing through snowdrifts in their all-wheel drive station wagons. Well, all that is about to change. The WRX is coming ashore.

When it arrives, the WRX will take the form of both sedan and wagon. Though it shares the Impreza's sedan platform, it will have its own unique face and tail lamps, as well as wheels, suspension, engine and interior. The WRX hood touts a functional scoop that helps feed the little turbo-charged 2.0-liter engine. Subaru has added a Tumble Generator Valve, which creates turbulence in the combustion chamber, improving cold starts and low-speed operation. The result is an eye-popping 227-horsepower, enough to propel the WRX from 0-60 in about 6 seconds. All that power is managed by an all-wheel-drive system that can be teamed to either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. To keep things on the fun side, the automatic comes equipped with Subaru's new Variable Torque Distribution system (VTD) which splits the power ratio 55/45, favoring the rear end and adding to the performance-driving feel.

Subaru has overhauled the standard Impreza interior, bringing the WRX cockpit inline with the car's extroverted personality. Better plastics and fabrics adorn the revised dash and doors, as well as the bolstered sports seats and Momo steering wheel. The long list of standard features include A/C, an 80-watt AM/FM stereo with cassette and in-dash 6-disc CD changer, cruise control, tilt-wheel, height adjustable seats, keyless entry, power windows, door locks and mirrors, 60/40 split rear seat and dual-front-side impact airbags.